The Creek Gang visit Lawndale
by Son of a Preacherman
Summary: Basically what the is says on the label. Following on from my last story, the Dawson's Creek kids take Daria up on her offer to visit her hometown. Andie will even get a weekend pass to join them.
1. The phone call

Author's note: This story takes place between seasons 2 and 3 of Dawson's Creek and immediately  
following the events of Daria: Is It Fall Yet. It also follows on from the events of my previous story.  
Continuity will be mostly followed with some possible minor changes.

The phone in the Morgendorffer's house rang. Before Quinn had the chance, Daria answered it.  
"Hello"  
"I see"  
"What's your ETA?"  
"Alright, but you should probably tell her that yourself"  
Daria handed the phone to Quinn  
"It's the girl you met on our roadtrip" Daria explained  
"Which one?" Quinn asked  
"How should I know? Ask her yourself" Daria retorted  
"Hello" Quinn said holding the phone to her ear  
"That's great, I can't wait to see you. I'll invite the fashion club around and introduce you"  
"Aha, aha, aha"  
"So, what happened to..." Quinn trailed off  
"That's so sad. Are you okay?"  
"Aha, aha, aha"  
Quinn handed the phone back to Daria  
"She wants to talk to you" Quinn said, slightly annoyed  
"Aha, aha, aha"  
"Let me talk to the film geek"  
"Well, who is there?"  
"Okay, let me talk to her"  
"Hey, how's the roadtrip going?"  
"Aha, aha, aha"  
"Listen, when you get here, I'd like to introduce you to some friends of mine"  
"Yes, I have friends" Daria said slightly annoyed  
_Okay, one friend_, she thought but didn't say aloud  
"And then I have a group activity I'm sure we'll all get a kick out of"  
"Okay, see you soon. Bye now"  
Daria hung up. She thought to herself she may have over-promised, but there was no reason she  
couldn't pull this off. She had a couple of phone calls to make.


	2. The Best Laid Plans

"A weekend release?" Mr Phee said, slightly incredulously  
"It'll just be for the weekend" Jack said, repeating himself  
"We'll be with her the whole time" Pacey added  
"I'm not sure about this. What does her doctor say?"  
"It was her doctor's idea" Jack said, twisting the truth somewhat  
"It'll be good for her" Pacey assured him  
"I want to talk to her doctor, and I want two phone calls each day from her" Mr McPhee insisted  
"Sure thing Mr McPhee" Pacey said, grinning from ear to ear, "See, I knew he'd be reasonable" he  
said to Jack as they left  
"Lets just hope he stays that way" Jack said, well aware that he could change his mind at any  
moment

* * *

At the facility  
"We're here to check out Andrea McPhee for the weekend" Jack said  
"I'm sorry, she's not cleared for release yet" the receptionist said in a very bureaucratic tone, after  
looking up her name  
"Look, we spoke to Dr Bennett. If you could just give him a call..." Pacey said, increasingly  
desperate  
"...As I already explained to your friend, Dr Bennett isn't rostered on today" she said robotically  
"Then call him at home, or give me his number and I will" Pacey was getting increasingly annoyed  
Meanwhile Joey and Jen were sitting in the lobby when Jen noticed a payphone  
"Maybe I should give her a call, to let her know we're on our way" Jen said  
Joey's mind was a million miles away  
Jen nudged her gently  
"What?" Joey said, slightly annoyed  
"The number" blank stare "The phone number" still nothing.  
After a moment, Joey realized what Jen was asking  
"Oh right" she said, pulling a piece of paper from her pocket  
Jen dialed the number  
"Hey Daria, I just wanted to let you know that were on our way and we should be there in a later  
today"  
"Afternoon, after lunch"  
"Could you tell Quinn I'm really looking forward to seeing her again?"  
"Hey Quinn. I'm heading your way and I was thinking...""That sounds great"  
"Oh Abby, she passed away. I'll explain when more when I get there"  
"Okay, see you soon. Could you put Daria back on the phone?"  
"Dawson's not here right now. Joey is though"  
"She wants to talk to you" Jen said to Joey  
"Hey Daria" Joey said, but she was clearly distracted  
"The roadtrip, its going alright, but there's a hitch with getting Andie furloughed" Joey said looking  
towards the reception where she could see Andie's doctor was there and in a very heated argument  
with Jack, Pacey and the receptionist, but still no Andie.  
"Don't worry, we'll take care of it"  
"What have you got lined up for us in Lawndale?"  
"Aha, aha, aha"  
"You have friends?" Joey asked pointedly, now more focused on the moment, but still a little  
distracted  
"Sounds great, looking forward to it"  
As soon as Joey hung up, she felt a pair of arms around her  
"Joey!" a familiar voice said. It was Andie and she was grinning from ear to ear and sounded very  
sedate, almost as if she had been pumped full of chemicals. _Forget the almost_, Joey thought.


	3. You have arrived at your destination

"You have arrived at your destination" the robotic GPS voice announced. Jack was driving and Jen  
and Andie were next to him in the front. Pacey sat between Dawson and Joey in the back and he  
was just realizing that Dawson and Joey hadn't spoken a single word to each other for the entire  
trip. He wondered how much longer this would keep up.  
"Let me go in first, by myself" Jen suggested  
No one said anything. This was getting awkward.  
Jen got out and rang the doorbell. Daria answered  
"Quinn, your friend is here" she yelled up the stairs and she came running down  
"Are the others still in the car?" Jen nodded  
Quinn pulled the door all the way open and pushed passed Daria  
"Come in, come in. How was your trip" The two hugged and fake-cheek kissed  
"I guess I'll leave you to it" Daria said, walking out the door  
Jen wondered what Daria thought of this, but Quinn was trying her hardest to ignore her.  
Daria climbed into the front seat of the car and instantly noticed something was off.  
_Jeez, who died_ she thought  
"Jeez, who farted" she said. No one said anything for a moment  
"So where are we going?" Jack finally said  
"Not far, its only a few minutes. I'd suggest walking, but since we're all here..." she trailed off  
"Just go straight and then turn right up ahead" she said, and they were off  
'Crazy' by _Seal_ was playing on the radio  
"So, Andie, I see they finally let you go. How's the funny farm treating you?" Daria asked trying to  
lighten the mood  
"Actually, its a private facility, so its really nice. No padded rooms or straight jackets. Its almost  
like a resort" Andie said grinning awkwardly  
"Great. Maybe I'll book myself a stay sometime then" Daria replied  
"Hey Morgendorffer, you wanna find something else to joke about?" Pacey phrased it as a question,  
but it was clear from his tone that it wasn't.  
Daria turned around to see the three of them and immediately realized that there was something else  
going on in the back seat, but before she could figure out what it was, they had arrived at Casa de  
Lane.  
"We're here" Daria announced. She hoped that what she had in store would lighten them up because  
at the moment it seemed like they were all on edge about something, possibly more than one  
something.  
They all got out of the car.


	4. Casa de Lane

"Hey Jane, these are the mythical friends I told you about. The ones I dreamed up during that road  
trip to Cape Cod" Jane had seen them walking up and opened the door before Daria had a chance to  
knock. At least she was in a good mood.  
"Ah yes, the imaginary friends from two towns over. So you're real after all"  
"This is Pacey, the class clown, Film Geek Dawson, Joey (me, but housebroken), Jack (the Gay  
one) and Andie, their Jodie, but white and..." Daria made a gesture to indicate insanity from behind  
them, so only she and Jane saw it. One of them couldn't make it. Appointment with the fashion  
club"  
"Such a shame to see young people fall in with a bad crowd"  
Jane shook all of their hands one by one.  
"So what's their deal and what ever possessed them to friend someone like you? Are they mentally  
defic..."  
"Don't" Daria said, shaking her head  
"So when is Jodie getting here?" Daria inquired  
The doorbell rang

"I'd guess right now" Jane said in an almost Daria-like monotone.  
All of a sudden, the relationship between Daria and Jane started to make sense to the others  
"Hey Jodie, thanks for coming" Jane said  
"Anytime. Care to tell me what I'm doing here?" she said  
"Ask Daria, this whole thing is her idea" Jane responded and all eyes turned to Daria. It was time.  
"Jodie, I'd like you to meet some friends of mine..."  
"Friends, you? That's great" Jodie interrupted  
"This is Pacey, Dawson, Joey, Jack and Andie" emphasizing the last one.  
"I think the two of you have a lot in common"  
"Let me guess, overachiever?"  
"Well, I used to be" Andie said, already the two of them were starting to peel off from the group.  
Good Daria thought, its all going to plan.  
"What happened" Jodie asked  
"Well, I kinda took on too much and..." she sat down at the dining table. Jodie sat down next to her  
"Burned out..." Jodie looked concerned, but also worried that this might be her one day  
All of a sudden loud music came bellowing down from downstairs as if on cue. Andie and Jodie  
were so engrossed in their conversation they barely noticed. The others were curious.  
"I'll tell them to turn it down" Jane yelled  
"Who's them" Dawson asked covering his ears as much as anyone else  
"My brother's band" Dawson and Pacey grew curious hearing of this. Jack and Joey did not.

* * *

"TURN IT DOWN" Jane yelled and the music stopped abruptly in the middle of her yelling, but not  
because of it  
Trent was standing there next to Jessie, but they other band members weren't there.  
"Hey Janey, Hey Daria, who are these guys?"  
Before they had a chance to respond, Dawson and Pacey started bombarding them with questions  
"What kind of music do you play?" Dawson asked  
"How long have you guys been together?" Pacey chimed in  
"Would you guys be interested in making a music video?" added Dawson, sensing an opportunity,  
but not wanting to seem too keen.  
Jack and Joey were starting to feel a bit left out. Daria once again nudged Jane  
"So Jack, I hear you're into art. Wanna see my studio?" Jane asked with a slight amount of passive  
aggression detectable only to Daria.  
"Sure" Jack said  
"Can I come too?" Joey asked  
"Actually" Daria said "I have something else planned for the two of us"  
"How do you feel about Pizza?" Joey smiled in response to this


	5. I see what you did there

Daria took Joey to Pizza king to get some pizza. As they sat down, Paula Cole's _I Don't Want to_  
_Wait_ started playing on the store's stereo  
"I know this song. How do I know this song?" Daria said, unsure if she was asking herself or Joey  
"I saw what you were doing back there" Joey said, ignoring Daria's question  
"Of course you did. You're the smart one of your little, _creek gang_"  
"But just so we're clear, what exactly did I do back there?"  
"Pairing people up like that. Andie with the black girl, Dawson and Pacey with the stoners, Jack and  
your artsy friend. What I'm not clear on is why"  
"You're a smart girl. You tell me" Joey was so engrossed in the mystery, Daria's tone didn't bother  
her in the slightest and Daria knew it. She guessed that meant they were building a rapport.  
"So the first two is kind of obvious. Your overachieving friend is basically a functional version of  
Andie, so you're either trying to scare her straight or show Andie how to have it all without burning  
out..." noticing the look on Daria's faced, adding "or both"  
"That's one out of three, you wanna try for door number two?"  
"So, Dawson is ambitious, which I'm guessing your stoner friend aren't but they also have an idea  
of what they wants to do with their lives, which Pacey doesn't..."  
"So..." Daria prompted, seeing the gears coming together in Joey's mind  
"So I guess you want Dawson to see what life could be like for him if his dream doesn't come true  
and he winds up languishing in obscurity, working double shifts at a video store to pay of the debts  
from his last failed project"  
"And..."  
"And you wanted to show Pacey what life has in store for him, if he doesn't pull himself together  
and make something of himself"  
"And...?"  
"And what? there's more?" Joey was realizing how brilliant Daria could be when she set her mind  
to something.  
"You wanted the two stoners to see something..."  
"Dawson's ambition" Joey clicked "So maybe it would remind them why they became musicians in  
the first place, and maybe, just maybe, it would give them the kick in the pants they need to kick  
start their careers"  
"Ding, ding, ding" Daria said, her face beaming with an emotion she was unfamiliar with. Pride.  
"And the last two..." Daria started but trailed off when she saw two familiar faces approaching.  
"Hey Daria, hey Ja... whoa" the shocked voice came from none other than Kevin Thompson. Next  
to him was Brittney."What happened to Jane?" Kevin wondered  
"Didn't you hear Kevey? Daria and Jane got in a big fight because Daria stole Jane's boyfriend, so  
this must be Daria's new best friend"  
"Actually" Daria interjected "this is my imaginary friend, Joey, from Cape Cod. You shouldn't talk  
to her, it'll only encourage my delusion"  
Joey was somewhat mortified by what Daria had just said, but she didn't show it  
"Wait a minute" Kevin said, scratching his head "if she's a figure of your imachination or whatever,  
how come me and Brit can see her?" turning to Britney he said "you do see her, right babe."  
"Of course I can see her, and I can see how you're looking at her too" Britney said indignantly  
"My name's Joey and I can assure you I'm very much real" Joey said  
"Joey, meet Kevin Thompson and Britney Taylor, Lawndale's very own real life version of Ken and  
Barbie" Daria quipped  
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Kevin said, realizing he was just insulted sure how  
"I hope you and Jane make up soon. It's just not right seeing one of you without the other" Britney  
said, and turning to Joey adding "no offense, miss"  
"Jane and I are fine, I can have friends besides Jane though" Daria said, slightly indignantly  
Kevin and Britney started giggling and walked off  
"So, have you figured out what's behind door number three yet?" Daria said, returning to the  
subject at hand  
"So I picked up that Jack and Jane are both artists, but so am I"  
"Is Jane Gay?"  
"Not that I know of, but there was this one incident with a girl at art camp once. Girl got her drunk  
and tried to..., You know what, never mind"  
"So you wanted to teach her that not all gay people are...  
Sexual predators"  
"I was gonna go with pretentious assholes, but that works too. But there's another reason. Forget  
about yourself, forget about the art. Tell me about the two of them. How are they the same and how  
are they different?"  
"Jane seems very sure of herself, Jack is still figuring out who he is. Wait, you wanted Jane to  
inspire Jack to be more self confident?"  
"You're getting there, now following on from those two things..."  
"You want Jack to be more confident in his sexuality because Jane, who's not gay, but comes from a  
world where a lot, if not most people are..."  
"You're so close..." Daria was really enjoying this"You wanted Jane to introduce Jack to a world, a subculture, community, whatever, where being Gay is normal..."  
"you're overthinking this, not *introduce*..."  
"make him aware of, but surely he's already vaguely aware of this world, but he's never met anyone  
from it before, except me and I'm even less experienced in it than he is"  
Joey kept thinking  
"Why do you think Jack is so insecure about his orientation?" Daria said, throwing her a lifeline  
"because all his life he's been made to feel ashamed of it and that he has to hide it"  
"by..."  
"his Dad, mainly, but also his entire social circle, he came from a very conservative..."  
and then it finally snapped into place  
"subculture, community, world, whatever. And you wanted him to see that there's other segments of  
society that aren't so uptight, in order to show him where this insecurity comes from so maybe he  
can try to get past it"  
"Congratulations, you've solved the puzzle and you get to go home with all the prizes"  
"How do you do this?"  
"Do what?"  
"See through everyone's facades to the core of their personality"  
"I don't know" Daria admitted "I guess I just always have. That's probably why I have so few  
friends. No one likes being around someone they can't hide their true self from"  
Joey was starting to understand too  
"You're the same though, right?"  
"I guess, I just don't go blabbing it to everyone. I play my cards much closer to the chest than you"  
"I never realized that was an option"  
"Neither did I for a long time. It was a skill I had to learn. You could learn it to if you wanted"  
"That's okay. I'm okay with who I am" Daria said confidently  
"But there was something I've been meaning to ask you, and it has to do with why I decided to pair  
the two of us up together this afternoon" Daria continued  
"You mean there's more?" Joey was astonished that Daria had yet another trick up her sleeve after  
all that had just happened.  
"So..." Daria started, but then saw another familiar face approaching  
"Hey Daria, Hey Jane, wait..."  
"Hey Mac, this is Joey, my friend from two towns over"  
"Is this like the Canadian girlfriend trope?" Mac asked  
"Something like that" Daria replied

"Joey Potter" Joey introduced herself  
"Micheal Jordan McKenzie, friends call me Mac"  
"Don't call him Mac Daddy" Daria added  
"Why not" Joey asked  
"I hate that name, I hate it" Mac said angrily  
"So did you and Jane have another fight?" Mac asked, changing the subject  
"Again, Jane and I are fine. I can have other friends" Daria said, increasingly frustrated  
"By the way, do you know where Jodie is?" Mac asked  
"She's at Jane's" Daria said, glancing at the clock (which Joey noticed)  
"If you head over there, you should catch up with her"  
Which he promptly did  
"Is he Jodie's brother?" Joey asked  
"Boyfriend" Daria replied  
"I figured it was one or the other. I'm guessing Lawndale doesn't have too many black residents"  
"Capeside either" Daria retorted  
"Well, there's my sister's boyfriend..." Joey started  
"But you wanted to ask something" she then said, changing the subject  
"Yes, and we don't have too long, so give me the cliff notes version"  
"I'll try" Joey said  
"What was going on in the back seat, with you and _Spielberg stud_?"  
"You noticed, huh?"  
"I think we established that I notice things. I am the _noticer_"  
"Alright. Here goes..."  
"So picking up where we left off last time, Dawson got drunk at his birthday party and told  
everyone what he really thinks of them, including me, and then he tried to kiss me so I pushed him  
onto his birthday cake, which ended up all over him"  
"Hey, who hasn't been there?" Daria said entirely seriously, but Joey wasn't pleased by the  
interruption, so she invited Joey to continue.  
"Anyway, my dad got paroled and we catered a wedding and I got swept up in the moment and  
Dawson and I kiss and reunite. Maybe its just because its safe and comfortable, but this time the  
relationship feels much sturdier, on firmer footing. And here's where it gets rough.  
Dawson discovered that my dad was dealing drugs again. He told me, but I didn't want to hear it.  
He told his parents who forced me to go to the police, but only after the Icehouse burned down by  
his competitors (side note, Capeside has a drug war, but that's another story for another time). The  
sheriff, who also happens to be Pacey's dad, made me wear a wire, and get my dad arrested. I takeout my anger on Dawson, telling him that I never want to see him again. Hence why we haven't said a single word to each other on this entire trip. And that's brings you up to speed."  
"Is that it?" Daria said, trying to take it all in.  
There's also Dawson's mom leaving town and how Andie ended up being institutionalized, but that's not really relevant, is it?"  
"I guess not" Daria conceded  
"So, what do you think?"  
"What do I think? If you're looking for advice, you're asking the wrong person. But..."  
Joey shivered with anticipation as Daria stalled  
"Do you regret what you did?"  
"Should I?" Joey replied  
"I don't know, I'm not you"  
"Do you think I did the right thing?" Joey asked, as if eager for approval.  
"I don't know, I wasn't there. Better question, do **you** think you did the right thing?"  
After a brief pause, and realizing they needed to wrap this up, Daria sighed and said "I guess you  
did what you that you had to do, and so did Dawson, and your dad"  
"Final and most important question, now that time has passed and you've had time to calm down,  
how do you feel about the two of them?"  
"Betrayed, but I can forgive them. I just wish they...  
I mean, there's nothing for them...  
I wish we could go back to the way things were, but that's never going to happen now, right?"  
"So, where do you go from here?"  
"One day I'll see my dad again and we'll try and get past this. But Dawson, I don't know...  
I mean, we could go back to being friends, but I guess part of me will always want something more  
and so will part of him..."  
"So what are you going to do about it?"  
"I guess I could throw myself at him in a desperate, but romantic gesture..."  
"That sounds great" Daria said, perhaps half-jokingly but realizing they need to go now, or actually  
five minutes ago to be precise.  
"Now we're on a rather tight schedule, so if you'll follow me..." she pointed toward the exit and the  
two of them started walking.


	6. I love it when a plan comes together

The theme song from _The A Team_ accompanied Daria and Joey as they exited the Pizza King  
"So, we should probably finish that conversation sometime, but it doesn't have to be now" Joey  
suggested  
"Well, you've still got my email address, right"  
"Yeah, I do. One more question though?" Joey said  
"Shoot"  
"Jen and your sister, is that part of your plan too?"  
"I guess you'll just have to find out" Daria said, giving nothing away  
As they arrived back at the Morgendorffer house, they saw the Witter Wagon pulling up in front of  
them.  
"Ah, just in the nick of time" Daria said. "I love it when a plan comes together"  
She ushered them all inside  
She was hoping to get them all up to her room without being noticed, but just then Helen, her  
mother came downstairs.  
"Well, aren't you going to introduce me to your friends?"  
"You already know Jane and sort of know Dawson, he helped me pick up Quinn on that road trip  
that one time, and these are his friends, and I guess mine, Joey, Pacey, Andie and Jack. We're all  
going up to my room to study" Daria spoke quickly and hoped that her mom bought it and didn't  
ask any follow up questions  
"Don't stay up too late, alright" Helen suspected Daria wasn't being entirely truthful, but was just  
glad she was expanding her social circle  
As they walked past Quinn's room, they could hear voices, but couldn't make out anything distinct.  
But they knew Jen was in there.  
Daria started taking out cushions and pillows and so forth, hoping that they would get the hint.  
"Unless you guys wanted to stay in a hotel."  
Blank stares.  
"I just figured, since you let me stay with you, I should return the favor"  
At that, there were nods of agreement.  
Finally Dawson asked "I'm just wondering what you've got planned for the evening"  
"Yeah Morgendorffer, spill" Pacey said, and the others echoed his sentiments.  
"Well, I figured since movie night was a bit of a tradition for you guys, I'd adapt it to my tastes and  
aesthetic"  
"Dawson, you're a film geek, so you probably know the answer to this question"  
"What question?""What do you call a short film or cartoon shown in a cinema before a feature presentation?"  
All eyes turned to Dawson  
"I know what you mean but there isn't really a name for it. In any case, cinemas haven't really used  
that format since the great depression" Dawson figured even if he couldn't answer the question, he  
could still show off some film knowledge  
"I thought it was called a matinee?" Jane offered  
"No, that's something else" Dawson corrected  
"Well, either way, I'm reviving the format, just for tonight" Daria said, continuing to stare a hole in  
Dawson  
"So, Dawson, you're a Spielberg fan, right"  
"I don't know, are you known for being sarcastic?" laughter briefly filled the room  
"You got me there. Anyway, you know how Spielberg is known for being sappy and sentimental?"  
"Um, yeah, where are you going with this?"  
"But you and I know that he has another side, a funny and subversive side"  
"I think I see where this is going" Dawson said  
"Where?" Joey asked  
"I don't want to say, Daria, continue..."  
"So, remember how Spielberg and Ablin has a short lived partnership with Warner Brothers,  
resulting in, I think three cartoon series?"  
"It was actually four, but we don't really talk about the last one" Dawson could feel the stares in his  
direction "It wasn't very good" He added  
"So I figured..." Daria continued "that before our feature presentation, we should watch an episode  
of each of these three series. So I give you, Tiny Toon Adventures, Animaniacs and Pinky and the  
Brain"  
She switched on her TV, just in time to see the Sick, Sad World announcement:-  
"Tonight, the haunted film library with a ghost in every negative. Better call an exorcist, its  
celluloid spirits next, on **Sick, Sad World**"  
"Remind me to introduce you all to Sick, Sad World sometime" It was Jane that said it. She figured  
it was her turn to contribute something.

* * *

After the cartoons, they decided to take a quick bathroom break and give everyone a chance to  
stretch out. Andie realized that she hadn't called her dad yet, so asked Daria if she could use her  
phone.  
"Yeah, I think its downstairs, lemme go find it for you"

as they both ventured downstairs, raised voices started coming from the next room. They started getting louder and  
louder. Eventually they got curious, so Dawson, Joey and Jane ventured out into the hall, leaving  
the bedroom door wide open, so Jack and Pacey could hear what was going on.  
Eventually, the voices got so loud they could hear what was actually being said  
"The Girl whose bedroom is right next to yours, who is she to you?" came a voice that was  
obviously Jen's  
Jen and Quinn came storming out of the room, with the rest of the fashion club, Sandi, Tiffany and  
Stacey not far behind  
"What is your problem?" Quinn said in a tone that was passive aggressive, minus most of the  
passive  
Jen then slapped Quinn hard across the face  
"I can't believe I ever thought you were cool." she said, angrily


	7. The Cool Kids

"Jen, this is Sandy, Tiffany and Stacy" Quinn said, introducing the fashion club  
"I thought you said there were two of them?" Sandy said in her typical passive aggressive tone.  
"Oh yeah, what happened to Abby?" Quinn asked  
"She died, she's dead, okay" Jen said after an awkward moment.  
"Oh dear" Stacy said, sensing things were about to get more awkward  
"How did she die?" Quinn said, with genuine curiosity  
"We were drinking by the docks, she fell and hit her head. I laughed and then she fell again, this  
time into the water. I jumped in after her, but I couldn't find her. They pulled her body out of the  
water later that night"  
There were several seconds of silence that felt like several years  
"Oh my gawd, what a bummer" Tiffany said, trying to lighten the mood  
"Gee Jen, I hope you don't blame yourself for your friend's death" Sandy chimed in.  
"No, I knew it wasn't my fault, but that didn't make it any easier" Jen said. She didn't know Sandy  
well enough to recognize her back-handed sarcasm  
"So what were her dying words?" Stacy asked  
"She said 'I don't think I'll ever be happy. Whatever I have, I'll always want something else.' Then  
she bumped her head and I laughed so she said 'hey you bitch, that hurt'. Maybe we should just say  
its the first one"  
"If I can change the subject to something a little less morbid" Sandy said, slightly forcefully "tell us  
about your style"  
"Alright, I can go girly girl, or tomboy. I feel just as comfortable in a floral skirt as I do in a pair of  
jeans and leather coat" Jen said realizing she was describing her current outfit somewhat  
"80s fashion?" Sandy asked  
"Generally too over the top for me, but I have been know to bust out leggings on occasion"  
"Make up?"  
"Natural, not too over the top"  
"What do you do if you show up to a party with the same outfit as someone you know?"  
"Laugh it off, its unfortunate, but not the end of the world"  
Stacey, Tiffany, Sandy and Quinn then huddled together for a moment as Jen looked on, confused  
"We have decided to make you an honorary member of the Lawndale High Fashion Club" Sandy  
announced  
"What an honor" Jen said and she couldn't tell if she meant it or not  
Sandy then passed out some magazines and they stared looking through them for cute accessories

* * *

Sometime later, they realized they hadn't discussed about Jen and Quinn had met.  
"Well, I was in this diner in Cape Cod, where she's from" Quinn started  
"I started an argument with the manager, so Abby could sneak behind the counter and pinch a bottle  
of wine" Jen added  
The girls were clearly impressed, if slightly disturbed  
"Anyway, we spent the day drinking down by the docks and then we took her along to a party"  
"And then?" Stacey asked  
"You guys passed out, I think someone..." Quinn began  
"Spiked our drinks?" Jen finished  
"Oh, draaaaag" Tiffany said with as much of a look of shock as she could muster  
"So, I called the only person I could think of and we got picked up by your film geek friend and  
_that girl_..." The last two words were filled with mild disgust  
"That girl who follows you around" Tiffany added  
"Your cousin or whatever?" Sandy offered  
Jen looked at Quinn expected her to correct them. When she didn't, her face filled with horror.  
"You can't say it can you? After what she did, you can't even thank her, let alone acknowledge her"  
Jen said in a scolding tone  
There was a tense silence as Jen and Quinn began staring at each other  
"The Girl whose bedroom is right next to yours, who is she to you?" Jen said, getting angrier and  
her voice getting progressively louder. Quinn said nothing and looked annoyed.  
Jen got up, slowly walking towards the door. Jen walked out into the hallway, motioning for Quinn  
to join her. They were so focused on each other, they didn't notice the audience watching them.  
Sandi, Tiffany and Stacey not far behind  
"That bedroom, right there" She said pointing  
"What is your damage?" Quinn said in a passive aggressive tone  
Jen then slapped Quinn hard across the face  
"I can't believe I ever thought you were cool." she said, angrily  
"You know what you are? You've vapid. All you do all day is talk about how great it is to look  
pretty and have boys chase you, and one day you're going to realize how empty and pointless it all  
is. Just like I did"


	8. Realignment

Jen then marched into the next bedroom and said "I'm sorry I ditched you guys like that. I don't  
know what came over me"  
Dawson, Joey and Jane came back into the room and they along with Jack and Pacey all crowded  
around Jen to welcome her back. Daria and Andie, who had missed the action, but heard some of it  
from downstairs then came back into the room and the fashion club retreated into Quinn's.  
"Daria, your sister isn't cool. But you know who is? You are, Daria" Jen said as though she was  
giving some kind of motivational speech. She then raised her thumb to reinforce the point.  
"Now that everyone is back where they belong" Daria said, once again speechifying to the group  
"I bring you our feature presentation. Two movies, both staring Winona Ryder, both were a crucial  
part of my formative years and in both cases, I've been compared to the main character, but I have  
no idea why"  
The first was the 1988 movie _Heathers_, also starring Christian Slater and Shannon Doherty.  
The second was _Reality Bites_ (from 1994), with Ethan Hawke and Ben Stiller

* * *

By the end of the first movie, most of the group were either asleep or half asleep, but Dawson was  
wide awake and keen to keep going, so they did.

By the end of the second, everyone besides Daria and Dawson was fast asleep, with Pacey and  
Andie spooning on Daria's bed, Jack and Jen curled up on a thin mattress and Joey, Jack and Jane  
sprawled out on sofa cushions. There was nowhere and nothing left for Daria and Dawson to sleep  
on. This was starting to seem familiar  
"I could use a glass of water" Dawson said and they both headed downstairs  
Daria got a glass from the cupboard and filled it with water.  
"Back in a moment" Daria said and went to the bathroom  
At this point, Jake got out of bed and headed to the kitchen. He pulled a carton of milk out of the  
fridge and took a sip. He was about to go back to bed, when he realized there was someone at the  
table.  
"Hey Trent" he said instinctively, still half asleep  
"Hey Mr Morgendorffer" It wasn't until Jake heard the voice that he realized that something was  
off. He looked in the direction the voice came from and saw a face he didn't recognize.  
"..." Jake tried, but couldn't figure out who this young man was  
"Wait, who are you?" He finally said  
"I'm Dawson. You stayed at my dad's place once" he offered.

Nothing  
"I met Daria when you guys visited my hometown a few months ago"

Still nothing  
"My dad called you a tow-truck" a flash of recognition  
"Oh, you're Mitch's son. The aspiring... actor?"

"Director" Dawson clarified  
"So you and Daria are..."  
"Strictly platonic. I don't think she's ever had a boyfriend" Dawson speculated  
Daria was standing just outside of the kitchen, within earshot but out of view  
"Dad, Dawson, Dawson, Dad. Dad, go back to bed. You can talk more tomorrow" Daria said  
practically pulling her dad's chair  
"Sure thing honey" Jake said, still half asleep  
Daria pulled some sheets from the cupboard and adjusted the living room sofa so that it became a  
double bed. Dawson looked around at all the bare sofas whose cushions were currently in Quinn  
and Daria's rooms being slept on.  
"I'm beginning to see a pattern" Dawson said "If I didn't know better, I'd swear you were trying to  
get me into bed" he said jokingly  
"No choice, unless you'd like to sleep in your car?" Daria quipped in response.

Dawson stopped smiling.

_As I Lay Me Down_ by Sophie B Hawkins began playing.  
"I can see why people would compare you to Winona Ryder's characters in those movies, but I  
don't agree" Dawson said, as he lay down and pulled the covers over himself  
"Did you like them, the movies I mean?" Daria asked, switching off the light  
"The first one was great, lots of social commentary, I can see how its something you'd get into. The  
second one though, its a dull love triangle between a pretentious yuppie, a pretentious musician and  
a girl who's basically you but with no confidence"  
"I'll try not to take that personally" Daria replied  
"Does this choice of movie say something about you, because..."  
"Dawson, go to sleep" Daria said, climbing into bed next to him "And don't try anything during the  
night"  
"Perish the thought" Dawson said, closing his eyes


	9. Rude awakening

Dawson awakened to see a quizzical middle aged woman leaning over him and staring him in the  
eye  
"You must be Daria's mom" he said thinking quickly  
"Helen Morgendorffer, and you would be..." she said  
"Dawson Leery" he said gently sitting up and pushing the covers off of himself, careful not to  
disturb Daria  
"You spoke to my mom on the phone when you visited Capeside" Helen looked confused  
"Right before Daria and I went to pick up Quinn, Jen and Abby from that party they passed out  
at..."  
Her expression then changed to recognition and anger  
"You didn't know about that did you?" Dawson said, apologetically  
"Not that part, no"

Daria awoke to the sounds of Sugar Ray's _Every Morning_. Upon finding her glasses and focusing  
her eyes, the first thing she saw was Quinn and Jen sitting next to each other, staring down and  
looking ashamed. She looked further and saw her mother, looking very cross and looming above  
them. Dawson was standing behind her looking awkward. Well, I guess she figured it out, Daria  
thought to herself. She decided to go to the bathroom to freshen up and then see who else was  
awake.

* * *

Helen approached the group of Pacey, Joey, Jack and Andie, who were milling about near the front  
door waiting for Dawson and Jen.  
"Look out for her" Helen said quietly, subtley indicating Jen "Keep your friend out of trouble"  
"We will" Pacey said  
Helen then turned back toward the dining room  
"Quinn, Bedroom, Now!" She commanded  
"But Mo-om..." she protested  
"Now, Quinn! We'll talk about this later" Quinn then went back upstairs  
"Now then, one of you, grab that box on the counter there" Helen said, pointing to the box in  
question. Dawson promptly picked it up, only to discover it was quite heavy, so Jen helped him  
carry it. It was at this point that Daria emerged from the bathroom and Jane came down the stairs.  
"Now, I know you kids have a long journey ahead of you, so I've prepared some treats for you to  
have along the way" Helen said  
"Thanks Mrs Morgendorffer" Jack said

* * *

"How kind of you" Andie added  
"Morning all" Daria said emerging from the bathroom and approaching the group  
Helen then pulled Daria aside and said "I'm so happy that you're expanding your social circle, now  
don't screw it up" she said and walked away  
"We're just getting ready to head off" Joey said  
"Well then, let me show you the way out" Daria said, half jokingly and they all walked out the front  
door  
The six Capesiders somehow lined up in a row standing across from Daria and Jane  
"Well, it was very nice meeting all of you, especially you Jack" Jane said and Jack nodded  
"So, what parting words do you have this time? And what did you learn from your trip to  
Lawndale?" Daria asked, sensing that this had to be wrapped up. For some reason the Capesiders  
had formed a line up in front of the car and Daria and Jane were now standing across form them.  
"I need to set boundaries and learn to say no" Andie said  
"I'm going to be more confident and sure of myself" Jack said, looking at Jane  
"I'm going to get my shit together and make something of myself" Pacey said looking across at  
Andie, who smiled, and then looking back at Daria and Jane  
"I'm still going to be a filmmaker, but along the way, I might direct a music video" Dawson said,  
smiling hoping the others understood. Only Pacey did.  
"I'm going to be less like Quinn and more like you, Daria" Jen said. Daria was somewhat unnerved  
by that.  
All eyes turned to Joey  
"I'll remember to question people's motives and think the worst of people until proven otherwise.  
I'm also going to make you open up to me and tell me what makes you tick Morgendorffer. And I'm  
going to make you smile unironically" Joey said, staring a hole in Daria  
"And what parting words to you have?" she added  
"Everyone except you is evil, stupid, or selfish, or some combination thereof." Daria said. Dawson  
being an idealist, clearly didn't agree, which was obvious from the look on his face. Jack and Andie,  
the realists, smiled diplomatically. Pacey and Joey nodded in agreement. Jen grinned from ear to  
ear, holding back the urge to fangirl out.  
"What about you Jane?" Daria said, changing the subject  
All eyes turned to Jane  
"Be yourself. You are a special and unique snowflake, just like everyone else" It was all she could  
think of at that moment.  
And with that, they were off.


	10. What Happened Yesterday?

Jack typed Dawson's mom's address into the GPS and it gave them a route.  
"ETA, two and a half hours. Just in time to have lunch with your mom Dawson"  
"You guys should stay and eat with us" Dawson suggested  
Jack briefly looked at the GPS and did a quick calculation in his head  
"Alright, but we can't stay too long. We have to get this one (indicating Andie) home by midnight,  
or she'll turn into a pumpkin"  
Andie (in the middle seat) giggled, but Pacey (riding shotgun) was momentarily horrified by the  
joke, but upon seeing her reaction smiled too.  
Andie switched on the radio and asked "Do you think them again?"  
The Stone Temple Pilot's song _Sour Girl_ played.  
"Especially Daria, she's cool" Jen said and Joey sensed that Daria would not appreciate this new  
found admiration  
"Probably" Joey offered  
"We definitely will" Dawson said  
"Oh yeah" Pacey added, as the two of them were both grinning as they knew something the others  
didn't, but they decided not to spill just yet

* * *

"Morgendorffer, let's talk" Jane said, indicating she was going to walk home and wanted Daria to  
join her  
The song 'Life's A Bitch' by _Shooter_ played  
"So what exactly happened yesterday?" Jane inquired  
"What do you think happened?" Daria replied snarkily  
"Morgendorffer!" Jane was unimpressed  
"Alright, a few months ago during a trip through Massachusetts, my social circle somehow  
expanded by a few orders of magnitude, through no fault of my own. All of a sudden there's five  
more people I like and who like me. Okay, more like two and a half, but they come as a set. A  
completely unfamiliar situation. My first thought was how am I going to screw this up, but then I  
realized that we live half a dozen states away from each other so we'll probably never see each  
other again. Then the emails started, then the phone calls, then they actually decided to pay me a  
visit. You know me and people. I can only take them in small doses, present company accepted of  
course"  
"Of course" Jane interjected becoming engrossed in Daria's tale  
"So I figured I had to entertain them somehow and figured the best way to do that was through  
outsourcing, to my local..." Daria trailed off, not sure what to say at this point"Social circle, if you will" Jane suggested  
"I will not. I stuck Dawson and his sidekick with Trent and Jessie, because you know, creative  
types. I stuck Andie with Jodie because they're both overachievers and figured they'd get along and  
somehow I was right. I stuck you with Jack for obvious reasons and I kept Joey to myself because  
she reminds me of myself and I was actually looking forward to seeing her. But she turned the  
whole thing into me being some kind of life coach who was sorting out all their problems or  
something. Which, maybe a little true.."  
"And then you invited them back to your place to watch movies and spend the night" Jane said  
interrupting  
"I was just returning the favor and besides, both activities require very little talking"  
"Daria, what did you mean before by 'obvious reasons'?"  
"Well, you're both artists and..."  
"We're both gay?" Jane said in a mildly offended tone  
Daria stared blankly unsure how to take this statement  
"Daria, I'm not gay!" Jane was still mildly annoyed  
"I know that" Daria said, finally catching up  
"But if you were, me, Trent, and anyone else that matters would be cool with it"  
"Thanks Amiga, same to you"  
"Well, I don't think..." Daria was about to say something  
"What?" Jane was now curious  
"Nothing" Daria said, now unsure where she was going with her previous statement  
Changing the subject, she asked "So, what did you make of Jack?"  
"You mean besides being a gay artist?"  
"Yeah, beside that"  
"He's goofy and clumsy at first, but that's just his shield. Once we got past that, he was brilliant,  
insightful, and insecure"  
"What was he insecure about?" Jane could tell this was going somewhere, but wasn't quite sure  
where  
"His orientation"  
"Now why would anyone be insecure about that?" Daria asked sneakily  
"Because all his life he's been told by his entire social circle that it's wrong"  
Jane finally twigged  
"And who better to change his mind than someone from the sexually, um, fluid, art world where  
everyone seems to be some shade of different. Morgendorffer, are you sure you're not a life coach?"  
"No more than _Devo_"Jane stared at her blankly  
"The band _Devo_"  
Still nothing  
"What about them?"  
"_When a problem comes along, you must whip it_" she wasn't singing, but Jane could hear the  
melody in her head  
"So, you're just a satirical life coach?" Jane was now being a bit snarky  
"The only problem is, everyone takes satire seriously" Daria said, slightly annoyed  
"So, are we ever going to see these folks again?" Jane asked as they walked up the driveway  
"I suspect Trent knows the answer to that" Daria said grinning, knowing something Jane did not

* * *

In profession wrestling, to check if a wrestler is out cold, the referee will raise and then release the  
wrestler's arm. If if falls three times, they are deemed out and the match is ended. What usually  
happens is on the third way down, the arm will stop and then the wrestler will begin to make their  
comeback.  
This is basically what happened when Daria and Jane went to check on Trent.  
After the second arm raise and fall, the two of them were slightly worried. On the third time, he  
rested his hand on the edge of the bed and used it to lift himself up.  
"Hi Janey, hi Daria" Trent said, still half asleep  
"Your friends are cool" He added looking at Daria with the most excited expression she'd ever seen  
on him, but it was still pretty relaxed  
"Where were they from again?"  
"A town in Massachusetts, called Capeside" Daria replied  
"Capeside, why does that sound familiar?" Trent asked, then he went over to his bedside table and  
pulled a stack of papers that looked like they had been there an age.  
Going though them, he finally pulled out the one he was looking for. It was a flyer for a music  
festival  
"Capefest, an annual music festival held every fall on Capeside beach. Mystik Spiral played there a  
couple of years ago. We were thinking of playing again this year, but now we definitely will."  
"_Capefest '99_, featuring the _Dave Matthews band_ and _Mystik Spiral_. Has a nice ring to it, don't you  
think" Jane asked looking at Daria  
Daria had a shit-eating grin on her face that said to Jane, she was already way ahead of them.  
However, Daria was actually thinking: _An outdoor concert, what could possibly go wrong. A riot, a_  
_tidal wave, a crowd crush, a technical malfunction that causes a fiery explosion, all of the above._  
_Okay, probably not, but a girl can dream, can't she._

* * *

THE END (but there will be two epilogues this time)  
Mystik Spiral will play at Capefest '99, but Daria will be otherwise engaged in Capeside.  
Author's note 1: please feel free to DM or email me ( 3285 ) with your thoughts  
and/or if you picked up on any of the Easter Eggs contained in the story.  
Author's note 2: I'm using the Dawson's Creek timeline so I'm suggesting that the first four seasons  
of Daria took place from 1997 to 1999  
Up until now, continuity has mostly been maintained. However we now head into AU territory with  
Dawson's Creek: Alternate Season 3


	11. Epilogue 1 – Some emails

Dear Daria,  
Dawson is spending the rest of the summer with his mom in Philadelphia, but he'll be home in a  
few weeks. He is my soulmate and for the first time in my life I'm not looking forward to seeing  
him. What should I do?  
Sincerely  
Joey

Dear Joey,  
Since you opened up to me, its only fair that I open up to you. I also have a soulmate. Her name is  
Jane, I think you met briefly. A while ago, she started seeing a guy and it drove a wedge between us.  
It got worse when he took an interest in me and dumped her. Things were weird for a while, but we  
eventually got past it. You and Dawson will too.  
Also, I don't know how good your sarcasm detection is, but I definitely don't think you should try  
and seduce him. That will just make things worse.  
Cynically yours  
Daria Morgendorffer, Misery Chick

Dear Daria,  
I thought you might say that, but I went ahead and did it anyway. As you predicted, it ended badly,  
but I think were figuring things out. Thanks for your advice.  
By the way, my family is about to open a B&B. When you come back to Capeside, if you want you  
can stay there free of charge.  
Sincerely  
Joey

* * *

Dear Daria,  
This is Dawson. I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed meeting your friends. Could you pass  
along their emails, I'd really like to get in touch with them.  
Also, I'm feeling a bit nervous about seeing Joey in a few weeks when I get home. I know the two  
of you spent some time together recently and was wondering if you have any idea if she feels the  
same way?  
Yours Sincerely

Dawson Leery, filmmaker

Dear Dawson,  
Mystik Spiral are a little behind the times. I'm pretty sure none of them have email addresses, but  
. /mtv/tubescan/animation/daria/homepage_

I hear they'll be playing at Capefest in a few months if you want to see them play.  
Regarding Joey, don't worry, I'm sure it will all work out and when you see her, you'll get a  
pleasant surprise.  
Cynically yours  
Daria Morgendorffer, Misery Chick

Dear Daria,  
You knew that was going to happen didn't you?  
Yours Sincerely  
Dawson Leery, filmmaker

Daria didn't respond

* * *

Hey Daria,  
I wanted to apologize for overreacting to your jokes about Andie's condition. I'm a little  
overprotective of her some times, but she's told me to take it easy and humor is a way a lot of  
people cope with this stuff.  
I'm also going to take it easy on my brother in the hopes that he does the same with me.  
Your Pal  
Pacey

Dear Pacey,  
Don't worry about it. But if you're brother is ever going to be okay with who he is, he'll need to  
know that people like you accept him. Reminding him that you have a friend who came out last  
year may help this.  
Cynically yours  
Daria Morgendorffer, Misery Chick

* * *

Dear Jen,

Not that I care or anything, but what did my sister do that make you get that upset at her?  
Cynically yours  
Daria Morgendorffer, Misery Chick

.

Daria,  
She denied point blank that you were her sister. But to be honest, she was reminding me a little too  
much of the old me, New York Jen. It was wrong of me to idolize her. You are a much better role  
model.  
Jen

Daria doesn't respond

* * *

Dear Daria,  
I was wondering if you knew Jane's email address. I really enjoyed meeting her and wanted to stay  
in touch with her.  
Also, I hope I'm not out of line in asking this, but is she gay? I kinda got the impression she might  
be.  
Jack McPhee

Dear Jack,  
Jane's email is artist_jane_l13  
No, she is most definitely not gay. However, you're not the first to make this mistake and you won't  
be the last.  
Cynically yours  
Daria Morgendorffer, Misery Chick

* * *

Hi Daria,  
I'm about to be released in a few weeks and I'm determined not to make the same mistakes again. I  
was wondering if you could give me some words of advice?

Andrea 'Andie' McPhee

Dear Andie,  
I am the wrong person to ask. You should ask Jodie, Her email is landon_jodie  
Cynically yours  
Daria Morgendorffer, Misery Chick

* * *

Author's note: The Mystik Spiral website is genuine, but no longer updated


	12. Epilogue 2 – Conversations

**Jodie and Andie**

"I think the two of you have a lot in common" Daria suggested  
"Let me guess, overachiever?" Jodie asked  
"Well, I used to be" Andie said, already the two of them were starting to peel off from the group.  
Good Daria thought, its all going to plan.  
"What happened" Jodie asked  
"Well, I kinda took on too much and..." she sat down at the dining table. Jodie sat down next to her  
"Burned out..." Jodie looked concerned, but also worried that this might be her one day  
"Why don't you start from the beginning" Jodie suggested  
"Well, I've always been a straight A student and always done a lot of extra curricular activities..."  
Andie began nervously  
"But after my brother passed away, I felt like I had to step up, you know, fill the void"  
"Your brother? But I thought..." Jodie said, trailing off, sure she'd misunderstood  
"Oh, that's Jack, my other brother. He and I are fraternal twins"  
"My other brother Tim, passed away nearly two years ago. A while later, we moved and I quickly  
found some new friends, and... Pacey"  
"The Pacey that was just standing there a moment ago, but now has disappeared (along with his  
friends)?" Jodie said, noticing the absence  
"Yeah, where did they all go?" Andie said, thinking aloud  
"Tell me about Pacey?" Jodie said, trying to get back on topic  
"Yeah, we saved each other. We turned each others lives around. His was going nowhere and mine  
was going badly. But it wasn't enough"  
"What happened?" Jodie sensed things were about to get tough, but that Andie wanted to finish  
"Someone in my class died. We weren't close, but I volunteered to give her eulogy. I had to be  
diplomatic, because she was not an easy person to know. As I was preparing, I saw her in a mirror.  
Just for a moment.."  
"Who?" Jodie said, already knowing the answer  
"Abby Morgan. The dead girl" Andie said matter-of-factly  
"Hence why you're in your current situation" Jodie said, assuming that was it  
"There's more. After the funeral, Tim started appearing to me."  
"Your dead brother?"  
"Yes, I ended up turning my back on him, but that's when it was decided that I should be  
institutionalized"  
There was a long pause. Clearly that was the end of the story."Well, I don't know much about death, or what it does to the human psyche. But I know what its  
like to have a list of achievements a mile long, and no free time. This is my summer break. Guess  
how I'm spending it?"  
"I'm guessing not in a mental hospital" Andie said, laughing nervously  
"I wish" said Jodie, with a slight giggle and a lot of bitterness  
"I'm working two jobs, volunteering at a soup kitchen, interning at a congressman's office and in  
my spare time taking stupid golf lessons, which I blew off to come here today and I don't regret that  
for a moment"  
"Ever since I can remember, my parents have pushed me to achieve and I'm not even sure what its  
gotten me. But do you want to know how I get through it?"  
Andie nodded  
"Complaining bitterly, great time management skills and knowing my limits and saying no."  
"To be honest, its how I've prevented..."  
"Ending up like me" Andie said  
"Well, yeah" Jodie said, sympathetically.  
"Perhaps you could..." Jodie began but stopped when someone entered the room  
The two of them shared a kiss  
"Andie, this is Mack. He's my anchor"  
"Thanks, that's sweet. I just saw Daria hanging out with someone who wasn't Jane" Mack said  
Andie's attention was piqued "that was probably Joey" she said  
"Anyway, she said to give Jane a message. 'It's time'"  
"I'll pass it along. It was nice to meet you Mack, short for...?"  
"Michael Jordan Mackenzie"  
"Are you going to be alright, by yourself I mean" Jodie asked, sensing Mack wanted the two of  
them to leave  
"Sure, I'm among friends" Andie assured them  
Andie then realised she was alone for the first time in a long time. She considered what Jodie said  
and what she was about to say (she basically knew what it was) When she was done savoring the  
moment, she walked upstairs

* * *

**Dawson, Pacey and Mystik Spiral**

"TURN IT DOWN" Jane yelled and the music stopped abruptly in the middle of her yelling, but not  
because of it  
Trent was standing there next to Jessie, but they other band members weren't there.  
"Hey Janey, Hey Daria, who are these guys?"  
Before they had a chance to respond, Dawson and Pacey started bombarding them with questions  
"What kind of music do you play?" Dawson asked  
"How long have you guys been together?" Pacey chimed in  
"Would you guys be interested in making a music video?" added Dawson, sensing an opportunity,  
but not wanting to seem too keen.  
Dawson and Pacey were so enamored, they didn't notice the others leaving  
"Wait, who are you guys?" Jesse asked, somewhat confused  
"We're friends of Daria's" Pacey said, turning around to see that she was no longer there  
"Daria has friends other than Janey?" Trent asked excitedly  
"I knew that social outcast thing was..." Jesse started but stopped when Trent gave him a look  
"I'm Dawson, and this is my friend Pacey. We met Daria a few months ago when she passed  
through our town"  
"So, maybe we should start with your names?" Pacey asked, realizing they had come on too strong  
a moment ago  
"I'm Trent, Jane's older brother, and this is my musical soulmate, Jesse"  
Pacey and Dawson exchanged a look at that word  
"We met in music camp a number of years ago, then we placed an ad for a Drummer and Max (who  
isn't here) answered" Jesse explained  
"Then we picked up Nick hitchhiking and the rest is history, or something. I failed history so I  
might not be using that right" Trent said and then coughed  
"How would you describe your music?" Dawson asked  
"Some people call us _post-alterna-grunge_ or _trance punk"_ Jesse said  
"We're kind of a combination of Metal and Grunge, with a bit of punk thrown in" Trent added,  
coughing again  
"Are you okay?" Pacey asked, starting to get worried  
"He's fine, he does this all the time" Jesse said matter-of-factly  
"Wait, what is your band called?" Dawson asked  
Jesse and Trent looked slightly embarrassed  
"_Mystik Spiral_, but we're thinking of changing the name" Trent said, this time without the cough  
"So, are you guys musicians?" Jesse asked, they shook their heads

"Music fans?"  
"Not exactly" Dawson started "But I've been meaning to get started"  
"Speak for yourself" Pacey said "One of the advantages of having Gretchen as an older sister, I  
inherited her taste in music"  
"Actually, film is my medium" Dawson said, halfheartedly, unsure of how they would respond  
"You're a film lover?" Jesse suggested  
"And film maker" Dawson said proudly "Maybe I could make you a music video?" He suggested  
"That sounds like a great idea" Trent said enthusiastically (as enthusiastic as Trent could be)  
"So, where are you guys from anyway?" Jesse said  
"Capeside, Massachusetts" Dawson said, also proudly  
"Capeside, why does that sound familiar?" Trent thought aloud  
Jesse whispered something in his ear, Trent nodded and then instantly forgot  
Jesse then put his guitar away and indicated he was about to leave  
"See you tomorrow Trent, it was nice meeting you guys. You should come to one of our shows  
sometime" Jesse said, leaving  
As he was walking up the stairs, he passed Jane. They said hi to each other  
"Boys, Daria has invited us back to her place for something I'm promised will be entertaining.  
You're welcome to come too Trent"  
"Nah, I should get some more guitar practice in before I crash out"  
"Remember, sleeping with your guitar in your hands counts if you don't drop it"  
Trent's expression remained unchanged  
"Film boy, side kick, follow me" Jane said leading them out of the basement  
I'm the sidekick? Pacey mouthed to Dawson and Dawson shrugged and the two of them looked  
back to wave goodbye to Trent, wondering if they'd see each other again

* * *

**Jane and Jack**

"Welcome to the Jane Lane Art Studio" Jane announced  
Jack then walked into an easel, which Jane picked up  
He then knocked a paint palette onto the floor  
"That's okay" Jane said "Luckily the paint was dry"  
As Jack looked around the room, he noticed it was a bit of a mess, but clearly an artists bedroom.  
He then saw a bowl of Gummy Bears and started eating one. Jane looked upset.  
"What?" He said defensively  
"Those aren't for eating. I use them in my artwork" Jane said containing her frustration  
Jack then noticed a painting of a cattle skull  
"Nice, I like this one" he said, trying to lighten the mood  
"Thanks, its one of my earliest works" Jane said, calming down  
"So, what got you into art?" Jack asked  
"I come from a family of artists" Jane replied "It was kinda inevitable  
"Its so... realistic" Jack said, marveling at it  
"Actually, most of my word is more surreal" Jane remarked, pulling out a sketch of a man being  
pecked at by buzzards. The sketch was anything but realistic, and unbeknownst to Jack, the man  
was one of Jane's teachers  
"What was your entry into art?" Jane asked Jack  
"My parents took me to art galleries as a kid. My family used to collect art, before..." Jack trailed  
off  
"Anyway, my dad didn't think highly of my decision to take up art.

'McPhees collect art', he said 'we don't make it ourselves'"

"Joey was probably the first person to encourage me in my art"  
"The girl Daria is currently having Pizza with?" Jane asked  
"One and the same" said Jack  
"The one that..." Jane trailed off  
"What?"  
"Well, Daria mentioned that your relationship ended because.."  
"I came out" Jack cut her off  
"You don't have to talk about this if you don't want to" Jane insisted  
"No, its okay. You're probably not going to be judgmental about this. You're an artist, after all"  
Jane smirked slightly at that, but was also curious to hear this next part

"It all started over a poem. A poem in which I bared my soul for English class. I put all of my  
deepest, darkest thoughts into it. You see, I'm pretty sure I've always known this on some level, but  
I was just so used to hiding it.  
Anyway, Mr Peterson made me read it in front of the class. I got about two lines in and started  
tearing up."  
Jane looked stunned. She'd known some horrible teachers in her time, but nothing like this  
"Pacey then decided to step in and ended up spitting in Mr Peterson's face. Pacey got suspended,  
Peterson retired and I wasn't the center of attention, for a little while at least. But before long the  
rumor mill started up and I started to feel like I couldn't hide anymore. I told Andie, who took it  
pretty well, and my dad, who completely flipped his lid. But he knew as much as I did and was  
hiding as much as I was"  
Jane was hanging on Jack's every word at this point  
"I told Joey and she took it pretty well. Jen somehow became my beard and her uptight christian  
grandma showed she wasn't as uptight as we thought and she has now become my guardian"  
"Sounds like everything worked out okay in the end"  
"Mostly. I also have a great group of friends, who, even though we've never said it out loud, all  
accept me as I am, and I think I can now add Daria to that group"  
"Friends are great. I wish I had some" Jane said flippantly  
"I thought you and Daria were best friends?" Jack said, not picking up on the sarcasm  
"We are, I was joking" she clarified  
"How did you meet?" Jack asked  
"Self esteem class, It's actually a funny story..." Jane was about to tell it, when she saw someone  
climbing the stairs. It was Andie  
"Hey Jack, Hey Jane, Daria wanted me tot tell you something" Andie said, still looking a little frail  
"Where is that Morgendorffer?" Jane said, slightly annoyed  
"I don't know, but she said to tell you it's time"  
Jane knew exactly what that meant

**THE END**, for real this time


End file.
